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Bob Huff
| birth_place =Calexico, California | death_date = | death_place = | party =Republican | spouse =Mei Mei Huff | children =4 | residence =Diamond Bar, California | occupation =Agriculture Businessman | alma_mater =Westmont College | religion =Protestant | website =Senator Bob Huff }} Robert S. Huff (born September 9, 1953) is a U.S. politician, who is the California State Senate Republican Leader, having assumed the post on January 5, 2012. Since December 1, 2008, he has represented the Senate's 29th District, which includes portions of Los Angeles, Orange, and San Bernardino counties. A resident of Diamond Bar, California, he served on its City Council from 1995 to 2004 and was Mayor in 1997 and 2001. Huff won the 2004 Assembly election to succeed the term-limited Bob Pacheco and was reelected in 2006. He won the 2008 election to succeed the term-limited Bob Margett for the 29th district in the California State Senate. In 2012, he was elected to succeed the term-limited Bob Dutton as Senate Republican Leader. Education and professional life Born in Calexico, California, Huff grew up on his family's farm in the Imperial Valley. Huff attended Westmont College in Santa Barbara, where he earned a bachelor's degree in psychology, graduating with honors. Most of his professional and business experience has been in the agricultural industry. Working through the ranks to become the youngest vice president in a grain handling corporation, he became manager-owner of the Ray S. French Company, an independent commodity wholesaler, shortly after he moved his family to Diamond Bar in 1983. Bob Huff and his wife Mei Mei live in Diamond Bar. They have three sons, a daughter, and five grandchildren. Community service Prior to serving on the Diamond Bar City Council, Huff served on the Diamond Bar Planning Commission, the Diamond Bar General Plan Advisory Committee, and was a founding member of the Tres Hermanos Conservation Authority. He is also a member of Walnut Valley Rotary Club and former member of the Diamond Bar Improvement Association and Diamond Bar Chamber of Commerce. With a focus on transportation issues, Bob Huff was Diamond Bar's delegate to the Four Corners Transportation Policy Group and was Vice President of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments. He was President of the Foothill Transit Executive Board, and founding Chairman and Executive Board Member of the Alameda Corridor East Construction Authority (ACE). Legislative leadership Huff serves as Senate Republican Leader, having previously held the position of Republican Caucus Chair and is the primary Senate Republican negotiator for all state budget issues. In the Assembly from 2004–2008, Bob Huff also held leadership positions of Whip, Republican Caucus Chairman and Vice Chair of the San Gabriel Valley Legislative Caucus. Committee membership The Senate Republican Leader currently serves on the Senate Education Committee and is the past Vice Chair of the Senate Budget Committee. He also serves as a member of the Joint Committee on Senate Rules. In addition, Huff serves on the Select Committees of Asian Pacific Islander Affairs, California Job Creation and Retention, California’s Horse Racing Industry, Earthquake and Disaster Preparedness, Response and Recovery and High-Speed Rail. Huff's Sub-Committee assignments include: Education: Sustainable School Facilities and Education: Policy Research Legislation Bob Huff is known for advocating accountability and reform in California public schools. Huff has had legislation signed into law guaranteeing more funding for public charter schools. He has also led efforts to continue the Standard Testing and Reporting (STAR) program for second graders, and fought for parents' right to choose the best school for their children.Senate Bill 172 Huff has been a leader in expanding school choice for parents and students, including two reauthorizations of the School District of Choice program, the creation of the Open Enrollment Act and the nationally recognized "Parent Trigger" law. In 2010, Huff had legislation signed into law that protects private after school programs that tutor children in schoolwork, as well as teach foreign language and culture. He got SB161 signed into law in 2011, which allows trained volunteers to administer emergency medication to students with epilepsy when they suffer a seizure at school. Rankings, awards and recognition Huff's fight for local control translated into several high profile awards during the 2011 Legislative Session. Huff was recognized as Legislator of the Year in 2011 by the League of California Cities,http://www.cacities.org/index.jsp California Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse, the California Business Properties Association, the American Council of Engineering Companies, California and the Inland Empire Caucus, which serves citizens with disabilities. He was recognized for his efforts to protect local control, his legislative work on behalf of the industrial real estate industry and his tireless efforts to improve the business and jobs climate in California. He was also recognized as the 2011 Job Champion of Anaheim by the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce and received a received a perfect score in the 2011 California Chamber of Commerce Legislative Scorecard. Huff was awarded the 2005 Local Distinguished Service Award in Transportation from the American Public Transit Association and the Outstanding Community Leader of 2005 by the Boy Scouts of America Old Baldy Council. In addition, he has received first-rate legislative vote rankings from the California Taxpayers Association, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, California Chamber of Commerce, National Federation of Independent Businesses, California Farm Bureau Federation, and the California Manufacturers and Technology Association. References External links *Official Senate web site *Official Campaign web site Category:1953 births Category:American Protestants Category:Businesspeople in agriculture Category:California city council members Category:California Republicans Category:California State Senators Category:Living people Category:Members of the California State Assembly Category:People from Imperial County, California Category:People from Los Angeles County, California Category:Westmont College alumni es:Bob Huff